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Re: FK cricket junoon

New Zealand went on to the top at the Group A points table defeating Canada by 97 runs in a one-sided World Cup Group A match here at the Wankhede Stadium on Sunday.

New Zealand scored a mammoth 358 for six in their 50 overs and it proved too much for the minnows, who never looked remotely like challenging the target and ended on 261-9.

However, they played all their 50 overs for their highest total in the tournament.

They were in a perilous position at 4-2 before captain Ashish Bagai (84) and Jimmy Hansra (70 not out) came together to put on 125 for the fourth wicket and give the scoreboard a look of respectability.

Kyle Mills did the early damage for the Black Caps, dismissing Ruvindu Gunasekera and Zubin Surkari with just four runs on the board but he had to leave the field injured midway through his third over. Jacob Oram took 3-47.

Earlier, Brendon McCullum’s aggressive hundred and Jesse Ryder’s explosive 74 to help the Black Caps set an improbable target of 359.

McCullum hits 101, his third One-day International century, from 109 balls with 12 fours and two sixes while Taylor smashed five sixes and six boundaries during his 44-ball innings.

In one devastating over Taylor, who smashed 131 in 124 balls against Pakistan, took 28 off Harvir Baidwan, smashing four sixes and a four.

The stand-in skipper came to the crease in the 30th over with his side on 149 for two after a steady start against winless Canada, and injected urgency into the innings.

He was caught by Jimmy Hansra off the bowling of Balaji Rao while McCullum, who put on 53 with opening partner Martin Guptill (17) and 96 with Jesse Ryder (38) for the second wicket, perished in the first over of the batting powerplay, holing out to Ruvindu Gunasekera at extra cover.

Kane Williamson (34 not out) and Scott Styris (35) also joined in the onslaught, as the Canadian bowlers wilted, before a stunning cameo of 31 from James Franklin off just eight balls including three sixes and two fours.

New Zealand lashed 31 off the final over.

The pick of the bowlers for Canada was John Davison, whose 10 overs of spin yielded 1-30 but they were ragged in the field, dropping catches amid the New Zealand onslaught.

Baidwan went for a whopping 84 runs in his 9.1 overs and Rizwan Cheema was thrashed for 64 off just 4.5 overs.

The victory for New Zealand, without injured skipper Daniel Vettori, takes them to top spot in Group A with eight points, one clear of Sri Lanka, the only other team who have qualified for the quarter-finals.

Re: FK cricket junoon

Kamran likely to open against Aussies

Pakistan are mulling over the option of playing Kamran Akmal as an opener in their key World Cup clash against Australia here on Saturday.
Pakistan’s strategy for the eagerly-awaited game against Australia will be to play attacking cricket and Shahid Afridi, the Pakistan captain, believes that by promoting Kamran up the order he can strengthen Pakistan’s batting order.
Afridi told ‘The News’ here on Tuesday that Kamran is expected to replace Ahmed Shehzad as the opener for the match against Australia.
The 19-year-old Ahmed has flopped in all five of his World Cup outings and has just scored 44 at an average of less than nine.
“Ahmed is a talented kid but he has not really learnt from his mistakes,” said Afridi. “We have been showing faith in his abilities but Ahmed has failed to give us a single good start and now we are thinking about going into the match against Australia with a new opening pair,” he said.
“The best option we have is to promote Kamran as an opener. He has scored a lot of runs playing at that position and has the sort of experience we will need against a top class bowling side like Australia at the start of our innings,” stressed Afridi.
Kamran played four of Pakistan’s initial World Cup games at the number three position but he was replaced by Asad Shafiq for that spot in Monday’s match against Zimbabwe at Pallekele. Asad, playing his first World Cup match, hit an unbeaten 78 to guide Pakistan to a seven-wicket win.
Afridi said that Asad will retain that position for the game against the Aussies while Umar Akmal will return to the line-up to replace Ahmed Shehzad.
“Asad made full use of the opportunity that was given to him and that’s a sign of a good cricketer,” said Afridi. “We needed somebody to do well at the number three spot and are happy that Asad has shown a lot of promise.”
Afridi is hoping that Umar Akmalís return will bolster Pakistan’s batting. “Umar is fully fit and that’s good for us because he is one of our key players.”
Umar missed the game against Zimbabwe because of an injured finger.
Ahmed Shehzad, meanwhile, faces a tough task in the bid to keep his place in the playing eleven. He really upset Afridi and the team officials by falling to Zimbabwe spinner Ray Price trying to slog only to get stumped.
Waqar Younis, the Pakistan coach, made it clear that he wasn’t happy with the way Ahmed threw away his wicket.
“It was a rash shot from Shehzad,” said Waqar. “It wasn’t really required at the time. But don’t forget he is a youngster, he is only 21 and brand new in this arena. It’s not easy sometimes. In the heat of the moment you play silly shots and that’s how you learn cricket.
He’s probably learnt a big lesson today that when the team needs you at the wicket, you should stay.”
Pakistan took a day off on Tuesday and will return the nets on Wednesday (today) at the P Sara Oval.

Re: FK cricket junoon

Pakistan eye Australia scalp

Pakistan returned to Colombo on Tuesday from Kandy are now pointing their guns at defending champions Australia whom they hope to conquer on March 19 here at the R Premadasa Stadium in a bid to give their title hopes a huge boost.
“Australia are the team to beat in this tournament,” Shahid Afridi, the Pakistan captain, told ‘The News’ here on Tuesday. “They are the title holders and are the only unbeaten team in the tournament. A victory against them would boost our morale and will be a perfect tonic ahead of the quarterfinal,” added Afridi.
Pakistan secured their place in the World Cup quarterfinals by beating Zimbabwe by seven wickets at Pallekele on Monday and have now won four of the five match they have played in the tournament so far.
But Afridi made it clear that the real test for his team starts with the match against Australia.
“We have had our ups and downs in this tournament,” said Afridi whose team beat co-hosts Sri Lanka in a thrilling encounter last month but was thrashed by a 110-runs by New Zealand. “We have played some good cricket but we have also committeed a lot of mistakes in some of the games,” added Afridi, who saw Pakistan getting bowled out by minnows Canada for just 184 earlier in this tournament.
“But now there isn’t room for any more mistakes,” he said. “With the match against Australia, it will be a different tournament altogether. There wonít be any minnows around who will allow you to win despite playing badly. We have to learn from our past mistakes and should ensure that we give our best in the coming days.”
Australia, who are on a 33-match winning streak in the World Cup, will be the favourites to win on Saturday. But Pakistan should feel good over the fact that they were the last team to beat Australia in a World Cup match — in 1999 at Headingly.
Afridi believes that if Pakistan play to their potential, they can beat the Aussies.
“I believe that our biggest strength is our aggression,” he said.
“That’s the way to play against Australia, just attack them and I think that we have the firepower to beat them playing aggressive cricket.”
The seasoned allrounder is of the view that a win against Australia will give Pakistan the sort of momentum they need in the knock-out stage.
“It’s very important for a team to move into the quarters with a victory and if it is against the tournament’s top side then it’s going to certainly give you a huge boost.”
Speaking to reporters after the game against Zimbabwe, Pakistan coach Waqar Younis expressed similar views.
“Right now we are thinking of only Australia,” he said. “If you win that game, then your morale will be such that you won’t worry about any team you play (in the quarterfinals).”
Waqar said that the game against Ricky Ponting’s men is the most important match yet for his team in the event.
“The momentum is very important and necessary. Australia are such a big team, world champions, and they haven’t lost for ages.
“That is an opportunity. If you beat them, you leave a mark. You can look at the next matches and teams will think twice about playing against you. The bigger thing is the momentum of beating the world champions and the confidence it gives you. That game is important.”
Waqar is confident that if his misfiring batters clicked, then Pakistan’s bowlers will finish off the job.
“The strategy will be very similar. Try to play 50 overs first, pile up a big total, that’s the key. And then, when you look at bowling sides around the world, I think we have a fairly good bowling side. If we can put a handsome total, we stand a good chance of winning that match. Or if we bowl them out cheaply, we have a good chance of chasing it.”

Re: FK cricket junoon

Very right! Though I have to admit here that due to my problems at home and having to cope with my attitude tantrums and shock tremors that caused me the most depressed days and weeks of my life I did not watch a single match of the World Cup, yet I heard with eagerness all the news about Pakistan team.

I completely agree with Afridi when he says that our aggression is our best strategy. Because as a Pakistani I know that when we are aggressive, shouting, jumping from one foot to the other and cheering one another, pumping ourselves with passion and outright aggressive Dutch courage, we are the strongest team in the world. It was this cheering and thumping one another's shoulder that got us our single World Cup in 1992. But with all this we have to keep in mind that we do not loose sight of our goal and startegy. I cannot say who to play but I can surely say that play the players who have got it in them to win. Do not play those who are half-hearted about winning. Leave all the mutual differences behind and paly a positive game- the one that is our local, hallmark, rough running-around with a lot of "good" and "shabash boys".

Afridi keep your players in a frenzy keeping hold of the strategy with your eyes on Allah and we will surely win.

Just stay positive and put all we have got into the next games. We will win. Insha Allah!